Issue 2, Volume 7

The Official Student Newspaper of Eckerd College

Volume 7, Issue II Oct. 9, 2015

T-Pain headlines Welcome Back concert

photos by Connor Kenworthy

By Chelsea Duca and Jennifer Lincoln News Editor and Culture Editor

Palmetto Productions started the school year out with a bang, bringing in performer T-Pain for a welcome-back concert in the GO Pavilion on Sept. 26.

Students’ reception of the performance was overwhelm-

ingly positive from the moment T-Pain walked out on stage singing the 2007 hit “Cyclone,” until the show closed with “I’m on a Boat.”

“T-Pain was an awesome performer. It was like he was making sweet love with the

microphone by laying down some sensational vocals and supreme beats,” Junior Alex Walt said. “T-Pain was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

T-Pain sang all of our favorite throwbacks, including “I’m

News 1-4 Opinion 5-6 Culture 7-8 Science 9-10 Sports 11-12

‘n Luv (Wit a Stripper),” “Up Down” and “Buy U A Drank.”

Aside from the dollar beers, the GO Pavilion seemed to transform into middle school gym during homecoming.

See T-Pain , page 4 The Current is a free, biweekly student newspaper produced at Eckerd College. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers.

Let’s be brief

Page 2

Oct. 9, 2015

By Chelsea Duca News Editor

Run with zombies

Triton Tip-off joins forces with Dorm Olympics Show off your dorm pride while supporting the men’s and women’s basketball teams as they kick off the season at 9 p.m. at McArthur Gym. This year, ECOS is teaming up with the basketball teams to combine Triton Tip-off and the opening events of Dorm Olympics.

EC Cheer and the Riptide dance team will perform, and dorms will have the opportunity to win points for the olympics. For more information, check out the ECOS Update column at theonlinecurrent.com.

Waterfront offers kayaking opportunities The Waterfront is hosting two glow kayak events in October. Sign up for the first trip on Oct. 15 from 6:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., or watch the supermoon from Boca Ciega Bay on Oct. 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

For more kayaking fun, sign up for the Honeymoon Island kayak trip on Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bring a $10 deposit to the Waterfront to register.

Spaces are limited for all kayak trips.

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

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7 p.m., McArthur Volleyball v. Lynn University

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7 p.m., Miller Auditorium [CPS] International Cinema Series: Jellyfish Eyes 9 p.m., Cafe Patio Ecktoberfest

4 p.m., McArthur Volleyball v. Nova 7 p.m., Soccer Field Women’s Soccer v.

Palm Beach Atlantic

7 p.m., Soccer Field Men’s Soccer v. Lynn University 9 p.m., McArthur Triton Tip-off

Get into the Halloween spirit and join Palmetto Productions on Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. to “Run for Your Lives.” Registration for the three mile zombie-inspired obstacle course is only five dollars in Campus Activities, and you can sign up as a runner or a zombie.

Eckerd Review looking for submissions The Eckerd Review invites students, staff, faculty and all members of the Eckerd community to submit work for the 2016 issue. Fiction, nonfiction, poetry and visual art submissions will all be accepted. The deadline is Nov. 30, so if you are interested, visit eckerd.edu/eckerdreview and follow the submission guidelines.

Experience The Springs Eternal Project in Cobb Gallery Florida’s springs face many ecological threats — a fact that photographer John Moran highlights in The Springs Eternal Project. Moran’s artwork is currently on display in the Cobb Gallery and will remain until the end of October.

SUNDAY

7 p.m.

Zombie Run

Online Exclusives News

Culture SCIENCe

Eckerd student’s Ban the Bottle The science becar stolen at gun- campaign meets hind Lyme dispoint resistance ease

MONDAY

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Fall Break

Every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m., students are selling cups of coffee in front of Fox Hall and Triton’s Pub for $1.

By purchasing a cup of coffee, students can now choose to support one of seven different causes that will benefit South Asian communities.

The options include providing chickens, goats, bunnies, blankets, solar LED lights and women’s literacy programs, in addition to the original Biosand water filters. Details about each donation option can be found at the table.

Mail Services embrace email package notifications Mail Services will no longer be placing paper slips in student mailboxes to notify them of a waiting package. Instead, students will receive an e-notice.

With the updated computer tracking system, students will receive three notices, and if the package is not retrieved within a reasonable time, Mail Services will not continue to store it.

All students are required to have their student ID with them to pick up their packages.

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

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Fall Break

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7 p.m., Fox Hall [CPS] From Margins to Mainstream: Feminism and Intersecting Identities 7 p.m., Cobb Gallery Current meeting

7 p.m., Soccer Field Women’s Soccer v.

University of Tampa

7 p.m., Fox Hall [CPS] Shark Fin Soup: Conservation vs.

Culture

Editor-in-chief

Opinions Editor

Online Editor

Photo Editor

Emma Cotton

Ben Goldberg

Michael Serrati

Connor Kenworthy

thecurrent@eckerd.ed

currentviews@eckerd.edu

currentonline@eckerd.edu

Managing Editors Gary Furrow

Asst. Opinions Editor Brianna Spieldenner

Sports Editor

Sally Gardiner-Smith

Christina Rosetti currentsports@eckerd.edu

Sarah Raney

Culture Editor

currentme@eckerd.edu

Jennifer Lincoln

Cortney Lesovoy

currentae@eckerd.edu

Nicholas Jackson

Design Manager

*Check out theonlinecurrent.com for regular breaking news updates, photos, past issues, online exclusives, upcoming events and more.

Coffee sales benefit clean water initiative

Hannah Hamontree currentlayout@eckerd.edu

News Editor

Asst. Culture Editor James Carter

Science Editors Fiona McGuire

Chelsea Duca

Christa Perry

currentnews@eckerd.edu

currentscience@eckerd.edu

Asst. News Editors Victoria Carodine

PR Manager

Geoff St. John

Christina Rosetti

Asst. Sports Editors

Multimedia Managers Peter Bouveron Viki Seligman currentvideo@eckerd.edu

Social Media Managers Duncan Leblond Becky Flood

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7:30 p.m., Fox Hall [CPS] Rewriting the Ending: The Corrected Apocalypse

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7 p.m., Fox Hall [CPS] Think Outside the Major

The Current is a free biweekly student newspaper at Eckerd Colcurrentphoto@eckerd.edu lege. Offices are located upstairs in Cobb at 4200 54th Ave S, St. PeAsst. Photo Editor tersburg, FL, 33711. Opinions exNate Gozlan pressed in this publication are those of the writers and do not necessarily Design Editors reflect those of EC students, staff, Corelle Rokicki Dorothy Eldemire faculty and administration.

Chelsea Duca The Current welcomes letters to Andrew Friedman the editor. Submissions should be Garland Ward typed and cannot exceed 400 words. currentlayout@eckerd.edu Writers must include their full name, graduation year and contact number.

Recruitment and Faculty and staff should include their title, department and contact Retention number. All submissions are subject Sydney Cavero to editing for the purposes of clarity, Ben Goldberg style or length. The Current holds the right to reject any letters deemed Faculty Adviser inappropriate. Letters can be sent via email to thecurrent@eckerd.edu.

Professor K.C. Wolfe

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News

Oct. 9, 2015

Page 3

Young Democrats long for Bernie Sanders club

By Victoria Carodine Asst. News Editor

photo by Libby Oswalt The construction of the new wastewater tank can be seen from the soccer field.

Water treatment facility installs new open-air tank

By Thomas Lang Contributing Writer Spectators at the Tritons’ soccer games will no doubt notice a large structure rising up in the distance.

Next door at the Southwest Water Reclamation Facility (SWWRF), a new 15 million gallon tank is being installed to hold reject water -- water which has gone through the reclamation process but failed certain quality assurance tests.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection requires that the plant have enough tank capacity to store a day’s worth of reject water. By constructing the new tank, SWWRF can ensure that it meets this requirement.

The open-top tank, which is being built by Precon Corporation, is expected to be completed in May or June.

The tank will allow reject water to be stored so that it can be sent back through the plant to be reprocessed. Once it meets the standards of reclaimed water, it can be sent out for public use. Reclaimed water is used by Eckerd to water the lawns.

“We’ve also worked closely with the city in using the reclaimed water to power the air conditioning system at the James Center,” Eckerd College’s Director of Media and Public Relations Tom Scherberger

said. Reclaimed water will also be employed to help cool new and renovated buildings on the west side of campus.

Though SWWRF and Eckerd have had a good relationship, there are some downsides to having a water treatment facility as a neighbor.

New students arriving on campus this Autumn Term were warned to not go into the water, as an overflow of reject water at the plant had been sent into Frenchman’s Creek.

Due to all of the rain in July and August, the plant had more water to process than it had capacity for. The filters were getting clogged, and water had to be sent back through them to clean them out.

“That puts more water on the front of the plant,” SWWRF’s Chief Plant Operator Ken Wise said. “When we do that, we’re sort of shooting ourselves in the foot.

We’re messing ourselves up with more water than we can handle, so we bypass the filters.”

Even with five pumps working to alleviate the pressure on the system, there was too much water for the plant to deal with. Reject water ended up overflowing and eventually running onto Eckerd’s property.

The water was diverted into a retention pond, which ultimately flowed into Frenchman’s Creek.

Activities at the Waterfront and South Beach had to be cancelled for eight days until water quality conditions improved.

courtesy of Martin Bryson The framework for the new tank is in place.

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“That was not a great choice, but we didn’t have any good choices,” Scherberger said.

“In that moment it was the best we could do … at least we could have been better prepared for it if they had let us know.”

When problems with the plant arise, the two parties have historically been able to work them out.

“There have been some odor issues that Eckerd’s complained about; we’ve addressed those with odor control systems,” Wise said.

Nevertheless, on some days, one can’t help but notice a strange odor in the air.

“I have noticed a smell. Some days are worse than others,” Junior Kylie Bold said. “Especially when it’s hot and humid or after it rains, then it’s bad.”

The new tank will have an open top. A top would require a larger tank, as the walls would have to support its weight. By not giving the tank a top, the cost of the project goes down, and the visual impact is lessened. Wise says that this shouldn’t contribute to the odors noticed on campus.

“There’s no way to get that water to that tank unless it goes through all the plant except the filters… so it’s going to be very clean water,” Wise said.

Additional construction includes the installation of a methane gas collection system that will be used to turn an odorous byproduct into fuel for the city’s sanitation trucks.

When previous plans included having the trucks fill-up on site, Eckerd, along with other neighbors, spoke up, worried about an increase in noise. The city listened and agreed to locate the filling site farther up 34th Street.

“We have a really good relationship with the city, particularly Mayor Kriseman, and they really spend a lot of time listening to us,” Scherberger said.

Eckerd has also requested that more vegetation be planted along the property line to help reduce the visual impact, which the city agreed to.

As the 2016 presidential candidates announce and debate their platforms, Eckerd College students are starting to form their own opinions and bearings in the U.S. political arena. Specifically, the Young Democrats club has shown great interest in candidate Bernie Sanders.

With his plan to reduce the cost of college education, Bernie Sanders has some pull with university students and young adults. His platform on climate change and the environment is close to the hearts of Eckerd students, as Eckerd College is known for its environmentally friendly atmosphere.

“He’s very progressive,” Professor of Political Science Anthony Brunello said. “Unlike Mrs. Clinton, he doesn’t have the smell of being part of the elite classes. He comes from the outside of that.”

Of course, with every political candidate, there are pros and cons.

Some might compare Senator Sanders to a socialist. According to the Wall Street Journal, the programs he would implement would increase government spending by about onethird.

The Young Democrats club made a request to form a Bernie Sanders Club, but the request was denied by ECOS. “Our goal was to start a group of student activists to promote the progressive platform and spread the word about Senator Sanders and what he stands for,” Sophomore Roberto Ojeda said. “So we attempted to make a club on campus, but we could not. So we registered as Young Democrats.”

ECOS fully supports students joining the Young Democrats and the Young Republicans clubs but wants

to refrain from having similar clubs since all clubs require funding.

“It’s not necessarily that we don’t support Bernie Sanders, or any political party,” Vice President of ECOS Spencer Gradley said. “We’re just at the standpoint where we’re not going to have a club for a specific candidate.”

Gradley said that if ECOS allowed them to start this club, then we would see the formation of a Hillary Clinton club and a Donald Trump club.

ECOS wants to refrain from having the same clubs over and over again.

Brunello agrees with ECOS and emphasized the importance for the Young Democrats club to be fair to all candidates within the democratic party.

According to Ojeda, Young Democrats won’t officially announce their support for Sanders until they have an election within the group, but Ojeda said that, personally, he fully supports him.

Ojeda has formed a coalition that reaches out to many organizations in Pinellas County and Manatee-Sarasota County. They have organized student activists in one group that reaches out to minority communities.

According to Ojeda, they are a political coalition of students, activists and community members separate from the Young Democrats Club.

“Our goal in the community is to simply raise awareness on the issues that are important to people,” Ojeda said. “So what we’re doing as Young Democrats, as the coalition that we formed, we are hoping to simply inform everyone on all the options that are out there, all the issues that aren’t being discussed.”

Brunello agrees that being informed and active in the political process is extremely important.

“I really want students to go out and be involved, and I can’t be partisan about it,” Brunello said.

photo by Aristeo Canales Venus Jones reads the Emancipation Proclamation during an event hosted by the Young Democrats on Sept. 22.

Page 4

News

Oct. 9, 2015

Activist Leymah Gbowee inspires Eckerd students

courtesy of Thomas Scherberger Gbowee speaks to students on Sept. 17.

By Ben Goldberg Opinion Editor New York Times columnist and author Charles Blow set a high standard for this year’s CPS events with his lecture and discussion about the new civil rights movement and his following talk to the freshman class about his troubled childhood in the South.

Then, along came Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Leymah Gbowee.

During her reception at the James Center on Sept. 17, she was perpetually surrounded by awe-struck

students as she answered scores of questions. Her flawless diction would have everyone assuming that she was merely reciting boilerplate remarks had each answer not perfectly addressed the question.

Gbowee played an integral part of ending the civil war in Lybia, which began just after she graduated high school. She worked as a trauma healer for Liberian child soldiers. She united the women of Liberia across cultural, ethnic and religious lines.

She pushed the rebel-then-president Charles Taylor to begin peace talks with other rebel factions.

Ultimately, she brokered the final ceasefire that ended the war within her country and allowed free elections to take place.

“For any nation or any community to come out of some of the worst, there has to be a mobilization of the community members,” Gbowee said.

Her grassroots national movement started when she was a young woman as she tried to improve the condition of her community. To that end, her modest start in community service is reminiscent of Eckerd’s Service Learning requirement.

“Each student has to complete 40 hours of reflective service learning during their tenure here at Eckerd college. They have to think about racial implications, the politics, the

photo by Connor Kenworthy ArtOfficial returned to Eckerd for a second time to open the show for T-Pain.

From T-Pain , page 1

ArtOfficial, a jazz-hip hop fusion band from Miami, kicked off the evening with an array of original songs. In true Eckerd fashion, the group rapped over music filled with big-band sounds, including a strong horn presence and jazz undertones.

ArtOfficial performed at Palmetto’s welcome back party last year, but because of bad weather, few students attended, and the band did not get the showing they deserved. Director of Concerts for Palmetto and Senior Tyler Cribbs has been working to bring them back since then.

class dynamics and issues of gender about their work,” Head of Service Learning Ronald Porter said.

In their discussion, Gbowee explained that this type of service is exactly what people throughout the world need to be doing within their communities.

“If peace is collecting leftover food and taking it to the community homeless shelter, it is better for you to be known as the leftover boy or girl at Eckerd than to be known as the one who was just beautiful or charming that never did anything to change the world,” she said.

Last year, Junior Shannon Tivona set out to do just that. She created the Food Recovery Network, which recycles leftovers from the cafe and CEC and gives it to Feed St. Pete, a program operated in part by a local church to give meals to local families.

“It’s good for students to have a positive effect on their local community. It seemed like a very simple solution to a complicated problem. It was the best of both worlds with limiting food waste and increasing food security,” Tivona said.

Porter and Gbowee discussed how simple but impactful actions like Tivona’s help the larger community as a whole. Porter asked Gbowee how to resolve local internal trauma, especially in south St. Petersburg, so

courtesy of Thomas Scherberger Gbowee meets with students in the James Center prior to her CPS event in Fox Hall.

“I think they bring a much different feel than T-Pain, but I think that ultimately that helps build a better show because it gets more people there,” Cribbs said.

Cribbs was the driving force behind booking T-Pain. He first considered getting T-Pain for a show at Eckerd when he met with a representative from Main Stage Productions at the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) last year.

According to Cribbs, T Pain has been doing a lot of college shows recently, so his booking fee was within Palmetto Productions’ price range, and they began the process of bringing him to Eckerd.

“He’s getting $50,000, $90,000 for each show, and we were able to snag him for $25,000, which is unreal,” Cribbs said.

Palmetto Productions originally wanted T-Pain for last year’s Spring Concert, but his only available date was on the last day of classes, which

the administration felt was not conducive to a positive learning environment. His only other availability was in the fall, and Cribbs said that it was such a good price that Palmetto was willing to make it work.

T-Pain was first booked for Sept.

12, but according to Cribbs, his tour manager forgot that was the same date as T-Pain’s wedding anniversary.

The show was quickly rescheduled.

Logistically, this is the most complex event that Palmetto has hosted.

Palmetto usually throws a large welcome back party for students, but this year they helped sponsor Fallapalooza at the Waterfront instead and shifted their focus to the concert.

According to Cribbs, the biggest issue was finding the equipment they needed, so he drove to Orlando himself to pick up DJ Backline, the sound board for the show.

“Sound has been such an issue because he does do a show that’s worth the $50,000 or the $90,000,” Cribbs

that residents can live in peace.

“Peace is the way we interact,” said Gbowee. “Peace is our basic needs being met. Peace is when I have a meal on the table. Why do people pick up arms? Start violence?

They do not have peace within.”

Some students see Service Learning hours simply as a requirement that needs to be completed. For Gbowee, Porter and Tivona, helping one’s community can save the world.

Gbowee urges those in the Eckerd community to get involved.

“As you do your advocacy, look around your community and ask yourself what are the issues we have in this community, in this campus,” she said. “Nothing gives you legitimacy to go out there to work on anything else if you haven’t done what you have to do at home.”

said. “It requires much more than we’ve ever had to do before... That’s been the biggest issue with this entire thing.”

While scheduling and sound complicated the preparations, T-Pain’s hospitality requests were simple.

“It’s so easy compared to some of the things we’ve had before,” Cribbs said. “He just wants chicken and veggie trays.”

Some of T-Pain’s requests included dark hand towels, iced water, chicken fingers with ranch, tortilla chips and mild salsa and Red Bull.

He also requested three large bottles of Hennessey and three large bottles of Ciroc, but according to Cribbs, the school cannot provide alcohol.

Despite the lack of liquor, T-Pain still put on an amazing show, and the concert was a huge success for Palmetto Productions, generating rave reviews from students in attendance.

“We moved our bodies like cyclones for T-Pain,” Senior Danielle Becker said.

Want to join our award-winning team?

We’re looking for writers, photographers, graphic designers, multimedia producers and those interested in marketing, web support and PR. Meetings are held on Mondays at 7 p.m. in The Current Media Center upstairs in Cobb. Email thecurrent@eckerd.edu for info.

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Oct. 9, 2015

Opinion

Page 5

photo by Cypress Hansen A student revises an essay at the Writing Center, which assists students with the Writing Portfolio.

Writing Portfolios worth the work

By Sally Gardiner-Smith Asst. Opinion Editor

The Writing Portfolio was introduced to Eckerd College in 1988 to ensure students graduate with proficient writing abilities. Writing portfolios exist in lieu of other writing competency tests, such as required writing composition courses or timed exams.

The writing portfolio consists of four pieces of writing: an argumentative paper, an analytical research paper, a descriptive paper and a timed paper. Students can choose any piece of completed work from their Eckerd career to put in the portfolio. Each paper also requires an annotation describing the work.

Some students have been questioning the importance and usefulness of writing portfolios. I believe that the writing portfolios, while challenging and work intensive, are an accurate way of gauging a student’s ability to write.

A common complaint regarding

the Writing Portfolio is the amount of work that goes into them. Students are expected to put hours of work into their portfolios, but the actual amount of time spent varies from student to student. Ideally, with the Writing Portfolio, one uses work that they have already done for other classes.

If a student doesn’t have a paper that fits into one of the four categories, they may need to drastically change existing papers, or even start from scratch. This process can be time consuming.

“I would still rather have this than a writing course,” said Junior Zoe McDermott-Adler. Requiring a semester long composition course would take up more of the students’ time and resources. The amount of time spent in class and on homework is significant.

Another alternative to the portfolio, a timed exam, doesn’t accurately gauge students’ writing. Timed writing is a different skill than thoughtful writing and revising. Before writing portfolios were introduced to Eckerd, all students were required to respond to a writing prompt in a specific

amount of time.

This obviously doesn’t compare to the professional world, as you would never publish or display an unedited piece of writing. Editing, revising, and perfecting writing is a very important skill to have, and writing portfolios allow a student to showcase these things.

“The greatest benefit is that it really does ensure that students graduate knowing how to represent themselves well in writing,” said Associate Professor of Rhetoric Erika Spohrer.

It is important for students to be able to carefully choose their best work for the portfolio. The Writing Portfolio promotes careful reflection of one’s work, and requires students to improve their work until it is satisfactory.

The main purpose of the writing portfolios is to make sure a student can explain themselves and their ideas in a way that will be helpful to them in their discipline.

“They’re going to learn more specifically about the conventions of writing associated with what goes on within their discipline,” Associ-

ternity founded over a century ago in 1907 at New York University School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance.

It has over 260,000 members worldwide and roughly 12,000 current collegiate members. There are 285 collegiate chapters (of which Eckerd is now included) and 56 alumni chapters.

According to Club Head and Junior Robert Weigel, Eckerd’s Delta Sigma Pi chapter recruits business majors, male and female alike, to learn more about business and to network with mature intellectuals.

“It helps foster the study of business in universities, business connections and encourages business students to get involved in the local community,” Weigel said.

Requirements to become a part of Delta Sigma Pi include being a Business major and maintaining a 3.0 GPA. Weigel assures that the presence of this organization will not contribute to partying, vandalism or hazing that is typical of social greek life.

“It’s a huge step above the social fraternities that everyone has in their mind,” Weigel said.

The organization engages in three aspects: professional, service and

social. In the professional, they host speakers from all around the globe and hold resume workshops which are open to all Eckerd students.

On the roster of events for this year, Eckerd’s chapter of Delta Sigma Pi is going on a tour of the Rowdies soccer stadium to meet players and to talk to the Vice President of Communications and the President of the Rowdies to understand how the business works.

This type of event appeals to a good amount of the student body, considering so many business majors are also athletes. Such multifaceted aspects are what make this club so successful in its efforts to include the many different types of Eckerd students.

“We are a group of students looking for other like-minded students building our futures and getting involved with the community,” Weigel said.

An organization like this one on campus is likely to give Eckerd students a new edge. As a school heavily focused on its science department, its gives recognition to business majors with the same vigor of their science-

ate Professor of Rhetoric William Kelly said. Students perfect writing from their own area of study, which prepares them for writing in their careers.

“I think if they did feedback it would be a lot more constructive,” said Senior Caleb Ward when asked how to improve the portfolio program.

Spohrer stated that students receive constructive feedback and advice prior to turning in their portfolios by meeting with professors or attending workshops during the process of putting together their portfolio.

“It’s impossible logistically to give feedback. We don’t have the time or the people or the resources,” she said.

The Writing Portfolio is less time consuming than a composition course because a student doesn’t have to commit to class hours and homework.

Because the portfolios are individualized, student’s proficiency is assessed more accurately than a timed exam.

While they can be difficult, it is hoped that the time spent working on them will teach students valuable

skills like revision, as well as will help students recognize their best work.

“The students show that they can recognize, by looking at their work, that they know what their best writing is, rather than having a professor tell him or her,” Kelly said. “Encouraging students to revisit work that they’ve done before and revise and rethink it is good practice for what any good writer does.”

Writing portfolios, like many things in college, are hard work. They require hours of editing and writing.

The skills needed to create a portfolio-- editing, revising and picking your best work-- are vital to learn.

Professors Spohrer and Kelly, as well as students McDermott-Adler and Ward agree that the Writing Portfolio accurately gauges a student’s ability by allowing them to present writing they have edited to their notion of perfection. While it may not be fun, the Writing Portfolio is not a waste of time.

A business fraternity emerges at Eckerd

By Mereysa Taylor Contributing Writer Last year, Delta Sigma Pi was introduced at Eckerd by current Juniors Robert Weigel and Nick Bernabe. After recruiting International Business Professor Robert Jozkowski, they created what became the best new club of the year.

To the recent concern of the student populous, Delta Sigma Pi sounded like a frat house trying to weasel its way into Eckerd, a campus very absent of Greek life, and for good reason. This anti-greek outlook at Eckerd has fostered a long standing, tight knit community that is based on acceptance.

Delta Sigma Pi is indeed a fraternity, but not the kind you might think.

“As the foremost professional fraternity for men and women, Delta Sigma Pi develops principled business leaders for the future by providing a lifetime of opportunity for our members,” the mission statement says.

Delta Sigma Pi, legally called International Fraternity of Delta Sigma Pi, Inc. is a professional business fra-

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photo by Caley Hanse Eckerd’s Delta Sigma Pi chapter debuted last spring.

enthused peers.

Professor Jozkowski believes that the fraternity will make an impact on the broader community.

“I think it’s a good organization

for Eckerd itself,” he said. “It’s an organization that is business, but also touches into the community and the development for the overall student body.”

Page 6

Opinion

Friendly Fire: PC Culture and Free Speech

By August Dichter Contributing Writer

Performances by Eckerd’s improv team Another Man’s Trash often spark conversations about political correctness (PC) culture on our campus. PC culture poses many questions.

Students may wonder where is that line that comedy draws, and if race, sexual identity, or rape can actually be joked about, or if certain topics are simply off-limits. Other students might think comedy is exempt from being politically correct simply because jokes are just that -- jokes.

It’s not the topic but the way one presents the joke that matters. The way one tells a joke is what dictates what is and is not acceptable.

Clever jokes, with good taste, can be applied to any subject and con-

By Ben Goldberg Opinion Editor America is one of the world’s largest advocates of free speech.

As a journalist, it is difficult for me to support the seemingly new paradigm shift towards ‘political correctness’, as the term is all too frequently used to attack unpopular thoughts and beliefs of others.

At the same time, a counter trend that ignores “political correctness’ is also afoot. One must look no further than to Trump’s recent comments about illegal immigration and the character of the Mexican people for affirmation.

The Eckerd community does not need a lecture about mutual respect.

I do not intend to decry uncomfortable topics and accuse their satirization of being offensive, and not ‘politically correct’. Rather, it is important to understand the intended purpose of the PC movement.

At the most recent Another Man’s Trash show, the school’s improv troupe had a skit involving Ahmed Mohamed’s clock incident and a skit including jello and subsequent bullying between children that were

sequently start important conversations about sensitive topics.

Political Science Professor Anthony Brunello expressed his concern with the growing impact PC culture has had in his classroom and for students in general.

“People aren’t creative when they worry what they’re saying,” Brunello said. “Improv isn’t improv when it has rules.”

That being said, Brunello did say that hate speech is different and, although he couldn’t exactly define his personal limits, he knows them when he hears them.

Many well-known comedians have raised this question before, like the comedy duo Key and Peele. In a skit called Insult Comic, Keegan-Michael Key plays a stand-up comedian who makes fun of the audience. After harassing a man with big ears, an overweight

perceived by many in the audience to be mentally handicapped.

Right away, it is important to draw a distinction between something that makes the public uncomfortable and something that is genuinely offensive. In my experience, there are very few things that are actually offensive so long as the intent is to humorize, rather than to harm.

This makes perfect sense. The entire purpose of communication is to spread unique thoughts and ideas so that cultures can evolve and grow. Through the satirization of the not-a-clock-bomb incident, AMT was able to show the disconnect between a child with a timepiece and an actual terrorist with a weapon.

‘The clock scene was hilarious; I can understand why some may not like it, but I wasn’t offended,” Junior Hannah Baldwin said. “The other skit caught me off guard; I was sitting there thinking that it wasn’t funny, even though everyone else around me was laughing.”

While many agreed with Baldwin’s chagrin towards the jello scene, many contend that it is within this disagreement that the true value

man and a woman with excessive cleavage, he tries to avoid insulting a burn victim, played by Jordan Peele. Peele’s character, not wanting to be left out, asks the comedian to joke about his physical appearance. After being harassed by the crowd for not singling Peele out, like he did to the others for their physical appearance, the comedian makes a distasteful joke about the scars on the burn victim’s face and is immediately booed off stage.

Observational comedy puts everybody on the same playing field; nobody is safe in the crowd. It’s the way one goes about making the joke - not the topic itself - that is critical. It may be difficult to make a joke about a burn victim’s physical appearance sound funny, but even the hardest topics should not be restricted from joking about.

This past year in an opening

of comedy lies.

“The audience can criticize the performance,” Professor of Political Science Anthony Brunello said.

“An improvisational theater group is unique by its very nature. Good improv explores all sorts of difficult, sometimes uncomfortable and disquieting topics for an audience.

We’re supposed to be students of these things.”

A more pronounced insight into this claim lies within the grimaceinducing jokes about dead babies.

While not funny in any traditional way, a fair amount of people surrender meek and nervous laughter to these jokes.

Inarguably not politically correct, even such crass and abrasive humor has a vital purpose. Guggenheim Award Winner Alan Dundes explained in a 1979 “Western Folklore” article that this type of joke rose to prominence in surprising proximity to the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe V. Wade decision.

Humor serves to make uncomfortable or unpopular ideas just a little more bearable or familiar to the public at large.

In “The 40 Year Old Virgin”,

monologue for SNL, Louis C.K. joked about racism, Israel and Palestine, and then pedophilia - three topics that are traditionally very serious. By the end of the nine-minute monologue I found myself, and many others, laughing my butt off.

I am not an insensitive person. I understand that there are serious issues related to sexual violence and race in our society, and I am by no means vindicating hateful actions towards anyone. But what C.K. manages to do is to take controversial topics, and instead of putting an ignorant one-liner at the end, open up new and smart ways to see these topics.

Comedian Amy Schumer has also been under fire for supposedly “crossing the line.”

“Playing with race is a thing we are not supposed to do, which is what makes it so fun for com-

ics,” Schumer said on Twitter in response to an article written about her in the Guardian.

Like Amy Schumer, Louis C.K. and Another Man’s Trash, comedians’ jokes get people talking. In a lot of ways, comedy is like the liberal arts education: it raises uncomfortable topics in an attempt to understand unexamined biases communities might be facing. At a show, you get it all -- what you want to hear and what you’d prefer not to.

The leader of Another Man’s Trash, Junior Rob Musci, agreed.

“We don’t want to ever be malicious,” he said.

Listening is essential to the liberal arts education because it opens the doors to dialog. Bringing significant discussion to tough topics is always good for a culture.

Paul Rudd and Seth Rogan exchanged a startling number of gay jokes. While this is undeniably offensive to some, the 2005 comedy brought non-heterosexuality to the greater public.

While it may not have been a cause of the legal ruling, the movie took place within and continued a dialogue that predated the legalization of equal marriage by a full decade.

Still, the question of ‘political correctness’ stands. What may not be intentionally offensive still has the power to harm others.

This subjective nature of humor makes sense; Baldwin explained that she and her friends do take it as personally offensive when the mentally handicapped are made the butt of a joke. She didn’t find that particular skit funny. On the other hand, she found the Ahmed Mohamed skit delightful.

The members of Another Man’s Trash understand the subjectivity of humor, and they act mindfully of their audience.

“We try to be encompassing, to accept everyone, and we do,” Head of Another Man’s Trash Rob Musci

said. “There’s a line. When it’s funny, it’s funny. When it’s overboard, it’s overboard. People are raised differently. You have to tread lightly, but to an extent. .”

When it comes to ‘political correctness’, what can and should be said depends equally on the background of the audience and the intent of the message.

When I advocate for a politically correct Eckerd, I do not mean to ridicule those that say ‘black’ instead of ‘African American’. I do not want to chastise those that say ‘gay people’ instead of ‘LGTBQ’.

Rather, I am saying that as a campus, it is important to speak in the most well meaning and inclusive way possible. If someone makes a mistake or offends, it is better to explain the cause of discomfort rather than to condemn him or her for his or her mistake.

Through reasonable ‘political correctness’ and constructive conversation, Eckerd can become even more inclusive and understanding of everyone than it already is.

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Oct. 9, 2015

Culture

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Student restores car for father

photos courtesy of Frasier Springfield

Springfield hopes to have the 1976 BMW completed by his father’s birthday in November.

By James Carter Asst. Culture Editor Since February of his junior year, Senior Frazier Springfield has been rebuilding a classic BMW from the frame up as a surprise for his father.

“It’s amazing that we’ve kept the secret this long,” he said. “I can’t wait to see his face when I tell him ‘Here are the keys. The car’s outside.’”

As a self-proclaimed BMW enthusiast, Springfield had his sights set on the 1976 BMW 2002 TII. “Every car enthusiast has a different idea of a classic car,” Springfield said. “It was a dream to even drive a

2002, but if you had told me I would be rebuilding one in college, I would have said ‘Maybe when I’m thirty.’”

Only after he began modifying his current 2001 BMW 330i did he imagine undertaking this kind of project.

While the model would go for roughly $50,000 in mint condition, Springfield purchased and shipped the body from Oregon at only $5,000 as a car that ran but left much to be desired.

“I had to be sure this mechanic would give me a car that ran as well as the one I drive daily,” said Springfield.

The car has been stationed at the tennis court parking lot since the start of the restoration.

“I have every tool you can get at Lowes in the trunk of that car,” Springfield said. Most times, you will see either the classic under cover or Springfield under the car, tying up some last-minute loose ends.

“He would spend all his free time working on the car with the help of his girlfriend Cari.” Springfield’s friend and Senior Jonathan Cheng said. “I’ve seen him work on his car since day one, and he’s done an awesome job.”

Over the course of the project, it has received attention of all types.

“You wouldn’t believe how many people come up to me when I’m working just to talk for hours about their old cars or what they’re work-

ing on, and I always chuck it up with them.”

While the project is coming along, every part of the process is a process in itself.

Between adding a steering wheel, deleting a backseat, sanding, priming, painting, removing and redoing the paint job, there’s still a lot of work to be done.

Though the process is tedious, the big payoff has always been in sight.

Springfield set off on the project with his father in mind, to surprise him with his dream car.

“My brother knows, my uncles know, Mom knows—even his friends in Gainesville [are in] on it!” said Frazier. “We have even done re-

search on the car together, and he had no idea it was for him.” At this point, Springfield Senior is the only one not in on the surprise.

Springfield and his cohorts plan to unveil the project to his father by his birthday in November.

“I don’t want to rush myself, because it wouldn’t be a bad Christmas present either,” Springfield said. He plans to couple a scrapbook and a reaction video with the big reveal.

Springfield’s project offers a personal touch to his father’s gift.

“I could have bought him a nice car, but instead I build him one with my own sweat and tears,” Springfield said.

Sensitivity eases cultural appropriation

By Dorothy-Mae Eldemire Design Editor

In April, 16-year-old Hunger Games star Amandla Stenberg released a video called “Don’t Cash Crop my Cornrows,” in which she discussed how cultural appropriation has become prevalent throughout the media. In the video, Stenberg illustrates how mass media glorifies white celebrities appropriating African American styles and culture. In the same breath, the media dismisses African American celebrities as “ghetto” when doing the same things.

Many people don’t have a good understanding of cultural appropriation. According to the website Everyday Feminism, “Cultural appropriation refers to a particular dynamic in which members of a dominant culture take elements from a culture of people who have been systematically oppressed by that dominant group.”

Say a group of friends walks through a hallway talking about the latest Drake and Future mixtape, “What a Time to be Alive.” One of

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the guys in the group says, “That album was so dope! Future and Drake are the homies, the A1 Day ones.” The lone African American in the group looks up, unamused because the last time he spoke in ebonics -the slang spoken throughout the African American community- he was made fun of and told that he needs to leave that language in the projects. This would be an example of cultural appropriation.

Let’s be clear, though: dressing up as Pocahontas for this semester’s Halloween Ball is not an example of cultural appropriation. However, you should be aware of the culture you are portraying.

Cultural appropriation happens on Eckerd’s campus every day.

“I feel like people think it’s okay to comment on African Americans’ hair more than they do with Caucasian hair,” Sophomore Maggie Stewart said. “They say, ‘oh her hair is cute for a black girl’ and don’t realize that they’re actually looking down on a whole culture.

It’s really not okay and we don’t realize it.”

Last semester, I had an interview for a job. When I was not accepted, I was informed that my “faux locs”

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were not an acceptable hairstyle due to the background they carried.

This happened shortly after Disney star Zendaya Coleman’s “faux locs” were criticized by television personality and Fashion Police star Giuliana Rancic because they appeared to smell like “patchouli oil and weed.” Yet, when Kylie Jenner posted photos of her cornrows on Instagram, fashion commentators dubbed her “edgy and chic.”

Dreadlocks and braids are a staple among the “hippie culture” here at Eckerd, yet many people don’t know that the African American culture first made use of these styles to keep their hair healthy.

Cornrows especially were made to keep African American hair neat.

Miley Cyrus made headlines when she twerked at the 2013 MTV VMA’s, but the dance was popular in the black community years before that. When an African American dancer is seen twerking, they are deemed “ghetto,” and for lack of a better word “ratchet.” Yet, when it’s done by Miley Cyrus it becomes an international sensation.

Taylor Swift sitting under twerking African Americans in her “Shake it Off” music video with a look

of confusion is deemed okay, yet Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” is called vulgar.

“I feel like a lot of people don’t realize that what they do is cultural appropriation sometimes,” Sophomore Araesia King said. “We say, ‘oh, so and so can teach us how to twerk because she’s black, she should know how to do it’ and think it’s okay but it’s not. It’s understandable why you would ask them, but it can come off as offensive.

Mass media welcomes everyone to participate in African American culture -- except African Americans. But the African American community is not the only culture that faces this appropriation.

In 2013, Selena Gomez performed her Bollywood inspired single “Come and Get it” wearing the traditional Indian adornment, the Bindi, which represents the Hindu sixth chakra. She later said that the video was a learning experience where she became one with another culture.

In a 2014 music video, Iggy Azalea rode on top of an elephant, portraying herself as the Hindu deity Ganesha and explained her reasoning as getting to know another cul-

ture. These stars fail to recognize that they are offending entire cultures. Some devoted Hindus were offended by the superficial nature of the videos.

Some may say that donning traditional garments, wearing your hair a certain way or performing cultural dances are ways of celebrating these cultures. The truth is, if you don’t know the meaning behind the practice, you shouldn’t celebrate it. If you are doing it for fashion or for fun, you should consider the cultures you may be offending.

“Appropriation occurs when a style leads to racist generalizations or stereotypes where it originated,” Stenberg states in her video, “but is deemed as high fashion, cool or funny when the privileged take it for themselves.”

As an African American living in America, it can seem that the only time you are praised for your culture is when it’s seen on a white person. We need to heighten our awareness of the complexity of race relations in order to be truly accepting.

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Culture

Oct. 9, 2015

Club offers lessons in self-defense

By Josie Brett Contributing Writer

Eckerd’s campus is so safe that most people compare it to a bubble.

However, there are times when students must leave campus, whether it be for a shopping trip or a night out.

At this point, some may find themselves in threatening situations.

Enter the self-defense club. According to Club President and Senior Aliah Marzolf, it was launched as a result of a sexual assault that occurred on campus in Feb. 2013. Prior to the club’s beginnings, she didn’t feel that she would have been prepared in the case of an emergency.

“If I were in that kind of situation, I wouldn’t physically be able to protect myself,” she said. “I’m pretty confident that I could get in a few punches and scream my head off, but I don’t think that would have been very effective.”

The club teaches FAST (Fear Adrenal Stress Training) Defense, which emphasizes body language, being aware of one’s surroundings and people and the de-escalation of conflict.

Physical force should only be used as a last resort.

“I want people to learn how to be safe, learn how to get out of situations that they aren’t safe in,” Marzolf said.

The club itself is instructed by Kathy Marlor of St. Pete Self Defense & Personal Protection. Marlor is a 4th Degree Black Belt, FAST Defense instructor and a former World Open Taekwando Kickboxing Champion.

Marlor started in 1983 with martial arts, but soon after opening a martial arts school, she was pursued by a stalker.

“I realized that the sport of martial arts didn’t prepare me to deal with ‘real world’ conflicts and situations, so around 1998 I started training in EZ Defense which became FAST Defense,” she said.

There is especially a strong importance on avoiding making oneself a target, emphasized by both Marzolf and Marlor.

“It’s a lot of things people don’t even think about, especially with

understanding your body language and knowing how to act in different ways,” Marzolf said. “Walking around campus with both of your headphones in, that makes you a really easy target because you can’t hear people and hear things around you. So many people don’t think about that, but it’s still true.”

Marzolf also mentioned that she did not have any experience in selfdefense when she started. FAST does not require any prior training going in, and it is a good base for anyone who feels that they need another line of defense.

“I use the things I’ve learned every time I go out and it makes me feel more confident, and it makes people that I’m with more confident,” Marzolf said.

The club gets together about three to four times a semester. Marzolf’s rationale is that if they have a training session right before an extended holiday break, such as the upcoming fall break, it will help to reinforce those skills for situations encountered in the world outside of the Eckerd College campus.

Marlor hopes to pass on the lesson of being aware and assertive in daily life. This includes knowing how and why predators and stalkers would target someone, keeping the situation from escalating and from preventing the situation altogether. She also added that it is important for the potential victim to focus on their gut feeling, because it will almost always be right.

There is always the added benefit of boosting confidence in those who learn FAST Defense, because of its preparation for the real world.

“When something doesn’t seem right -- listen to that and take action to stay safer. These lessons are invaluable to staying safer and in life in general.” Marlor said.

Marzolf knows now that this will keep her and others safe if they are ever put into a situation.

“If anything happens right now I feel comfortable enough to know that I could either protect you or protect myself or at least protect one of us so one of us could run and get something, or go get help, and that’s an awesome feeling,” she said.

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SCIENCe

Oct. 9, 2015

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Cafe Bon Appétit composts liquid food

By Fiona Maguire Science Editor This semester, Eckerd’s cafeteria acquired a Power Knot Liquid Food Composter (LFC) to sustainably dispose of scraps leftover from food preparation and food waste.

The composter uses mock enzymes and anaerobic bacteria to decompose food into a nutrient rich greywater.

Located behind the dishwasher, it has a small door that stays open to make constant disposal easy.

Its arrival will not be an extra burden for Bon Appetit staff; however, it does emit a sulfury smell caused by the anaerobic respiration of the bacteria.

“As far as an operational standpoint, it’s fairly easy,” General Manager of Dining Services for Cafe Bon Appetit Eric Foster said. “It’s point and shoot. You just drop your garbage in it and wait for it to come out the other end in water form.”

Currently, the machine is producing 25-30 gallons of greywater per day, which is more than composting students can handle.

Co-president of Compost Club and Junior Miranda Rossi said the rate that it was coming out was too fast for them to pick it up. The excess water is now being piped down the drain temporarily, but they are hoping to pipe the water out to a holding tank on the back loading dock of the cafeteria. This way, the Eckerd community can have access to the water

Moment of Science

By Christa Perry Science Editor

Bioluminescence in the Bay The occasional glimmer in the water sparkling across Eckerd’s waterfront areas after sunset is not a trick of the light. The waters right off campus harbor thousands of marine organisms that bioluminescence.

According to Associate Professor of Marine Science and Biology Nancy Smith, bioluminescence, simply defined, is the production of light by organisms.

“It is thought to be the most common form of animal communication in the world,” she said, “because bioluminescence shows up in all marine bodies of water and it is found in a variety of different organisms.”

Bioluminescence lights up our waters when the sun goes down, a natural beauty that captivates the Eckerd community.

“One time last semester, my friends and I jumped in the water when it was pitch black outside,” Senior Caroline Glenn said. “There was no moon, and as you were treading water, you could see it by your feet, at the surface and in your hair.”

Eckerd cannot get enough glitter it seems.

“Your hair would glitter when you moved,” Glenn said. “It was intense.”

The light show, however, is not as simple as it looks.

“The emission of light by organisms involves a complex chemical reaction,” Smith said. “There is a series of chemical reactions that take place in the organism, and the result of those reactions is the production of light.”

Indeed, the chemical reaction that takes place to create light includes a unique chemical called luciferin. According to National Geographic, luciferin is a compound that produces light when it interacts with other molecules. Organisms that bioluminescence have chemical reactions occurring inside them in order for light to be emitted.

Not all animals in the sea have the ability to emit light. According to Smith, the most common organisms that bioluminescence in the Tampa Bay area are the dinoflagellates (organisms made up of one cell that swim using two tail-like flagella) and ctenophores living near the surface

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(also known as comb jellies). There are also special types of microbes called vibrio that are common in the Gulf and shallow water environments like Tampa Bay. These tiny bacteria also bioluminescence.

The use of bioluminescence is species dependent. One species’ reason for generating light may be different than the reason for another species. It can be used for mate recognition, particularly in the deep sea where there is no light. Bioluminescence can also be used to scare away predators or attract prey.

“There is a variety of reasons why animals bioluminescence,” Smith said. “It varies between locations and between different species. “ The timing of bioluminescence varies as well. According to Smith, the timing corresponds with the abundance of the organisms that emit light. For example, dinoflagellates come in population booms. They are photosynthetic organisms, and when productivity is high, there are a lot of dinoflagellates and, therefore, more bioluminescence.

Because bioluminescence corresponds to marine animal population density as well as the environmental conditions that would support a large population, it cannot be seen all the time.

“There is no specific time,” Smith said. “It is all biologically driven.”

Ctenophores also go through population cycles.

“There are times where we would take plankton nets out in Tampa Bay and we would get hundreds of ctenophores,” Smith said. “They would clog up my nets.”

Eckerd students, especially in the sciences, are lucky to experience the natural processes they study inside and outside of class. Glenn, a Geosciences major with a minor in Coastal Management, thinks that she can grasp the concepts more.

“It’s so cool learning about things in class and then seeing them in real life,” Glenn said. “It makes you understand the topic better.”

If you want to see the beauty that is bioluminescence, head down to the water after sunset and dip your toes in.

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to use as fertilizer for their plants.

The water produced is safe to go down the drain.

“We’re trying our best to compost as much as we can on campus,” Rossi said. “And last semester, for example, I was seeing all of these people waste so much food in the caf. They take more than they need, and then it just goes in the trash.”

This environmentally friendly machine will reduce the amount of Eckerd waste that ends up in a landfill while also offsetting CO2 emissions.

Sustainability Director Evan Bollier believes this is a step towards the goal of having a zero-waste cafeteria.

Although the machine was expensive and cost around $16,000, it can help the college save money in the long run by cutting down on costs from

trash disposals and fertilizer.

“I’d like to work with facilities, specifically the grounds department, to figure out a plan of action of how to use the nutrient rich greywater,” Bollier said. “We can save money if we don’t have to buy inorganic fertilizer.”

The composting team may also be able to help with transporting the greywater across grounds.

Plans to get the Power Knot LFC on campus have been in the works since last semester when Rossi met Founder of Zen Friendly Organics, Mitch Hawley, at Mad Hatters Tea Bar in St. Petersburg.

After hearing about Rossi’s involvement with composting on campus he suggested the school take the

LFC he no longer needed. Distributor for Power Knot Jeff Greene brought the machine to campus and provided training for staff. He even offered a university discount price after the trial period was over.

Foster would like to transition towards a new machine next year that would have bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities. The data collected could be useful information for Environmental Studies classes.

“It’s something that we really want to see the school get involved in as well because we’re going to incur some costs, more than likely,” Foster said. ”So if students want to step up and try and get things going as far as helping us out with costs, that would be great.”

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science

Oct. 9, 2015

Living with Lyme Disease

By Sonja Vukovic Contributing Writer

can occur just three to 30 days after the initial tick bite, include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches and swollen lymph nodes.

A slew of later-onset symptoms Lyme disease, as most people know it, is caused by the bacterium includes, but is not limited to severe Borrelia burgdorferi that is transmit- headaches, facial or Bell’s palsy, ted from black-legged ticks to an heart palpitations, episodes of dizziestimated 300,000 humans. Some ness, inflammation of the brain and patients are relieved of symptoms af- spinal cord and numbness or tingling ter a single course of antibiotics, but in the hands or feet.” If symptoms for those who continue to experience persist for more than six months, persistent symptoms there is no defi- it is said that the patient has “Posttreatment Lyme Disease Syndrome.” nite cure.

I first began experiencing these This syndrome has no cure; some pasymptoms one autumn day six years tients will suffer for months and even ago, although I was not officially di- years.

Kaleigh Ahern, 25, falls in with agnosed until several months later. I remember that day vividly. I was at the latter. She was diagnosed with a high school tennis match, and my Lyme disease in the spring of 2009. coach had just told me that it was the But getting a diagnosis for Ahern was birthday of the girl who I would be not easy. Only three of the five bands playing against. As the ball crossed required by the CDC appeared on her back and forth over the net, and as I Western Blot laboratory test. Eventubegan to fall behind in the scores, I ally she was diagnosed based off of was sure it was my subconscious that was preventing me from playing my her symptoms. One doctor she saw told her she didn’t have Lyme, but best.

“You can’t beat her on her birth- rather an anxiety problem. She had to day, that’s just mean,” I said to my- take a year-long hiatus from college because she was so sick. self.

“I lost everything … important to But the truth was that I had lost control of my right arm. Each time me like my swimming career, my colthe ball crossed over to my side of lege career. At that time, a lot of my the court I managed to hit it back friends,” Ahern said.

The hardest part, Ahern said, is over, but I felt like I was using someone else’s arm. I couldn’t get a firm that it is constant throughout daily enough grip on the racket and it was life.

“I think the fact that it impacts so impossible to muster the necessary many parts of your life, it’s not just strength to progress in the match.

After losing the match, I walked your physical issues that come up but over to the sidelines where my also the mental part of it,” she said. teammates were sitting. I started “If someone has a broken arm they talking with a friend, only to real- can think clearly still; it hurts, but it will get better. But with Lyme, at ize I couldn’t understand what she least for me, it was neurological so I or anyone around me was saying. It felt like crap and then I didn’t have was as if they were speaking a differ- the [mental] capacity to deal with it. I ent language. I was confused…were felt crazy all the time.” they speaking in Spanish? But why After suffering from Lyme disease would they be speaking Spanish? I for five years, Ahern finally feels betcould see the words come out of their ter and has advice for other Lyme mouths but the sound was incompre- patients.

“Be nice to your body even though hensible when it finally reached my you probably don’t want to all the ears. Suddenly, I noticed that I could time. It’s most important to find your barely understand the thoughts inside own way to get better … listen to my own head. A thick layer of fog your gut.” had settled around my brain. Trying While a cure remains elusive, to form a logical sentence was as Lyme disease and associated tickimpossible and frustrating as trying borne diseases conto run through tinue to change thouLyme Symptoms: water. sands if not millions Then, a fever of lives every year. thin sheet of chills It is a frightening and tightly packed headache insidious disease, but dots descendfatigue there is still hope that ed upon my a cure will be found. rash vision, covIn the meantime, it ering everymuscle and joint aches thing from the is important to eduswollen lymph nodes sky to the hot cate the public about bulls-eye rash pavement to symptoms and treatthe surroundment in order to reing walls of verse the steadily inmy school. It was as if I had landed in creasing rate of infection and number a two-dimensional painting that only mimicked in crude pointillism the of misdiagnosed cases.

On Sept. 21, 2015, the Lyme world I had known before.

While my depth perception was disease treatment guidelines by the still intact, something in the ap- International Lyme and Associated pearance of my surroundings had Diseases Society have been listed changed. I was terrified. I looked to on the National Guidelines Clearingthe sky, and the clouds began reced- house website.

ing, converging to a point I could Having lived with post-treatment not find because I had to look away. symptoms of Lyme disease for over The grass and surrounding greenery six years now, I know how challenghad an eerie glow. The rich hues of blooming flowers that I had once ing some days can be. Kaleigh Ahern found endearing now made me dizzy. knows it too, as do some 300,000 Nine months later, I would be diag- people who will contract Lyme disnosed with neurological Lyme dis- ease this year. But as we work together towards a cure, the support ease.

The CDC states online that early and unity of our friends, family and symptoms of Lyme disease, which community is what keeps us going.

courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The map shows an average of 300,000 new cases of Lyme disease reported each year within the United Statea.

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Sports Freshmen travel from Sweden to play soccer Oct. 9, 2015

By Cortney Lesovoy Asst. Sports Editor

Coming all the way from Sweden to play soccer for Eckerd College, Freshmen Johanna Andersson, Sandra Gyllander and Alice Wader are embarking on a journey of a lifetime. Almost 5,000 miles away from home, these girls are looking to make an impact on their new team and prove themselves as the season progresses for the Tritons.

Getting recognized by Coach Danielle Fotopoulos was not an easy task for Gyllander and Wader.

Growing up as best friends who played soccer with one another, they worked together and hired an agent to help them contact different colleges in the United States. They were discovered by Fotopoulos in December of 2014 through their highlight videos. Fotopoulos spoke to the girls through both email and FaceTime, letting them know that she wanted them to be a part of the team. She sent them pictures and videos of Eckerd and St. Petersburg, and they made the decision to come here despite never visiting the campus beforehand.

“Sandra and I have been best

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friends for a really long time,” Wader said. “She wanted to go to college too, so we decided that we’d go together. It’s like a dream come true for us. Playing soccer together back home and then coming here with my best friend is definitely one of the best parts of Eckerd.”

Choosing Eckerd was not a difficult choice by any means for Gyllander and Wader. They wanted to escape the cold of their hometown, Norrkopping, about two hours south of Stockholm. The weather, the beach, the campus environment and a small Division II school were ideal for both players.

Prior to Eckerd, Gyllander played for the third highest division in her hometown. When she was 15, she joined the Swedish Youth National Team, and played for two years until she broke her foot. She has hopes of returning to the squad again, but wants to concentrate on her career here at Eckerd first.

Over the summer, she obtained an illness in her stomach. She still practiced very hard while sick, but it caused inflammation in her abdominal muscles, hurting every time she ran. Her injury has hindered her

playing time so far this season more than she wanted it to, as she has taken on quite a big role as a freshman, playing center back for the Tritons.

“Sandra is a very direct person and is very good at giving directions,” Fotopoulous said. “She has a great knowledge of the game and brings great composure to the team.”

Wader had a starting position at left midfield on one of the best club teams in her city before coming to Eckerd. She now plays left midfield for the Tritons and has already made a strong impact on the team with one goal and two assists this season.

“I really like Alice’s work rate and her ability to get in behind players and take them on 1v1,” Fotopoulos said. “She is a very good finisher, and I’m looking forward to getting more great goals out of her.”

Andersson, on the other hand, comes from a town called Malmo, which is in southern Sweden, close to Copenhagen, Denmark. She played at one of the highest ranked high schools in Sweden and played on a club team in the best conference in Sweden.

Andersson was originally committed to the University of Tampa

photo by Christina Rosetti Freshmen Sandra Gyllander and Johanna Andersson talk strategy at half time.

before coming to Eckerd. After signing with them, the coach decided to leave the school. Since he was Andersson’s only contact, she decided to look for another school. The coach recommended Eckerd to her, which is how she came in contact with Fotopoulos.

“I thought Eckerd would be the best opportunity for me to combine both soccer and my education,” Andersson said.

After arriving at Eckerd for preseason, Andersson sustained a concussion that kept her out of practice for three weeks. Despite several setbacks during those three weeks, Andersson has recently gotten back into the swing of things, earning her first start of the season during Saturday’s matchup against Embry-Riddle.

“She has great composure in the back,” said Fotopoulos. “She is a very technical and tactical player.

She is very calm on the ball and brings a lot of personality to our team.”

Adjusting to the heat has not been easy for the Swedes. The high physicality of American soccer has made it a challenge for these three technical players to find their footing on the field, but they have adjusted well

to the different style of the game.

From an early age, Andersson, Gyllander and Wader have all dreamed of coming to America and playing in college overseas. Many young Swedish players aspire to play in the US after graduating from high school.

“It’s been a dream since I was 14 years old,” said Gyllander. “I had two other players on my team who went to the USA to play soccer in college. That’s when my dream began.”

Lucky for the Tritons, these internationals bring a lot to the table.

Their technicality, speed and confidence play a huge part on the team.

They are adapting quite comfortably to the team and look forward to incorporating their European style of football to Eckerd’s American style of soccer.

“They definitely have a big role, especially since they’re three really strong players,” Senior and CoCaptain Shannon Estes-Larkin said.

“We expect a lot from everyone on the team, but it’s important for the young players to set the tone for the future of the program.”

courtesy of Andy Mang/Stageshot photography Feshman Alice Wader controls the ball.

Volleyball defeats Florida Tech in four sets

By Meaghan Kirby Staff Writer

After upsetting No. 6 Florida Southern the night before, the Tritons defeated Florida Tech in four sets (25-22, 21-25, 25-20, 25-16) at McArthur Center Saturday afternoon.

Eckerd was tested early on in the game as the Panthers jumped out ahead with an 8-2 lead in the first set. Florida Tech got five of their points on attack errors from the Tritons.

The Tritons were able to pull back within a point, and later rallied seven straight points to give them a 19-15 lead. Florida Tech was able to answer back with six points in a row to take the lead back at 22-21.

Eckerd was able to close out the first set with the final four points with kills from Junior Katie Arnette

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and Sophomore Lauryn Nelson.

Eckerd started strong in the second set, as Senior Tjasa Kotnik acquired five straight aces to build Eckerd a 9-4 lead. Eventually, Florida Tech was able to tie up the set at 14-14 and continued with the momentum to win their only set of the match.

“After the second set we refocused and talked about what we can do better,” Kotnik said. “We did not let one set affect our confidence, and we came back and executed the game plan.”

After the Tritons came out of the locker room, they took early control of the third set. Eckerd never turned back after a kill from Junior JaQuayla Baker to put Eckerd on top 3-2. Eckerd was able to maintain the lead with six points and no less than a three point buffer for a majority of the set.

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Baker and Arnette both ended the set with five and six kills respectively. Sophomore Kaitlyn Sibson put up three service aces to help the Tritons to success. Eckerd closed out the third set with a powerful kill

by Baker and secured the go ahead win - two sets to Florida Tech’s one.

“Katie and JaQuayla have come to play very important roles in our success,” Head Coach Michelle Piantadosi said. “It is good to see both of them get comfortable in their roles on our team and finding their rhythm within our system.”

Eckerd was able to keep the momentum moving into the fourth set with Eckerd jumping to a 7-2 lead.

For the remainder of the set, Florida Tech would not get any closer than three points. Baker earned four kills in the final set with Kotnik tallying five. Eckerd finished the afternoon strongly by taking the final four

points, grabbing their second conference win of the season.

Kotnik led the Tritons with 16 kills, six service aces, and nine digs in Saturday’s match-up against Florida Tech. Kotnik, Baker and Arnette contributed to Eckerd’s 61 total kills with Baker earned 15, followed by Arnette with 14. The Tritons hit .308 as team with its third highest attacking percentage of the season.

“I am proud of how the team stepped up to earn two quality wins against Florida Southern and Florida Tech,” Piantadosi said. “As our team continues to grow we will look to Katie and JaQuayla both on offense and defense to help elevate our level of play as they did this weekend.”

Sibson had a strong performance in the back for the Tritons ending the match with 13 digs, three assists and three service aces. Freshman

Arielle Erillo ended the game with 11 digs and two assists. Senior Emily Schadow was another key player for the Tritons with one block, two service aces, five digs and 53 assists.

Coming off a win against No. 6 Florida Southern the night before, the Tritons made sure to keep the momentum in their favor, winning their second straight conference game.

“We approached the game with a lot of confidence. We played our game and we applied everything we worked on this past week at practice,” Kotnik said. “We feel great, but not satisfied because we still have a lot to accomplish.”

Eckerd looks to extend its twogame win streak as they take on Lynn University at 7p.m. on Friday night at McArthur Center in its sixth Sunshine State Conference matchup of the year.

Sports Behind-the-scenes spotlight: Athletic trainers

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By Nicholas Jackson Asst. Sports Editor Harley Award winners, Triton Award recipients and hall of fame inductees have shaped the face of a proud Athletics program for six decades. From softball to soccer, baseball to tennis, sailing to volleyball, student-athletes have been recognized and rewarded. Banners of team successes line the walls of McArthur Gym, archaic shirts are framed to immortalize former players, whilst Coach Mathews represents the walking embodiment of an Eckerd sporting legend. From humble beginnings as Florida Presbyterian College to Sunshine State Conference inauguration, athletics has always been about the athletes.

However, the athletic big names on campus are the final piece of an intricately designed puzzle. They are the public arm of a department filled with employees who work under the radar. These esteemed, entrusted and selfless people go by the title of Physical Therapists, or Athletic Trainers if you prefer the more colloquial term.

These faceless heroes and heroines act as the cornerstone of every varsity team. They are the adhesive that allows a frantic department to function, a key cog in a machine that often shuns their unquestionable importance.

The profession lures people with a burning desire for their work. It attracts those few who have an innate passion that is far more rewarding than financial compensation. Eckerd Athletics is fortunate to have acquired working staff that adhere to

Oct. 9, 2015

such principles.

Assistant Head Athletic Trainer German Hall, a highly respected professional, has a passion that derives from his playing days as an adolescent.

“I used to be an athlete in high school and college,” Hall said. “I suffered a lot of shoulder injuries and was a regular patient in the trainer’s room. I found it fascinating how the physical therapists got everybody back into their sport fit and healthy.”

Hall’s experiences act as a vital ingredient in the recipe of becoming a top athletic trainer. His experience as a collegiate athlete allows him to understand the psyche of the people he treats. “[Athletic experience] made a big impact on my life and was a key reason why I got to where I did in college,” Hall said. “I knew from then on that if I didn’t make it professionally I would be able to stick around the athletic environment.”

Consequently, he has developed a strong rapport with the players he works alongside on a day-to-day basis.

“I love getting to work with a diverse group of athletes from all around the world, to learn about different cultures all under the umbrella of sports,” Hall said.

The athletic trainers have to deal with repugnant feet, corroded calluses, sprained ankles and torn tendons on a daily basis. They manage a catalogue of injuries and illnesses all in the name of their core ethos: player welfare.

According to Hall, an average working day is twelve hours, six times per week with the odd Sunday

photos by Aristeo Canales Assistant Athletic Trainer German Hall contributes to the daily recovery of athletes.

thrown in for good measure. If they are not patching up the latest hamstring tear or ultra-sounding weakened cartilage, they are swamped by a sea of paperwork. In a culture of ‘where there’s blame there’s a claim’, athletic trainers arm themselves to the hilt with bureaucracy. This career is not designed for the faint-hearted, nor for the personality deterred by an honest day’s work.

Perpetually looking for innovative ways to treat acute injuries, their thirst for medicinal improvement is second-to-none. Although they are gifted biological scholars, their road to becoming qualified athletic trainers is an arduous one. A bachelor’s

degree is required, along with a minimum of three to five years worth of hands on experience. They have to possess an encyclopedic knowledge of NCAA and other governing body’s rules and regulations as well as possessing the business acumen of sticking to an inflexible annual budget.

Individuals with a skill set of tremendous variety define the physical therapists at Eckerd College.

Richard Ainscough, captain of the men's soccer team, spoke highly of the athletic training department’s caliber.

“The continuity of the athletic trainers is something that is special to this school,” Ainscough said. “You

really get to develop relationships that go deeper than your average player-physio gets. The physiotherapists are a part of our family".

Whether home and away or crack of dawn training sessions and lightning-delayed games, they remain a constant. Athletic trainers are akin to the stay at home mothers whose labor and sacrifice seldomly gets praised. But it’s not all doom and gloom -- Eckerd has proud communal traditions, and athletics is no different. Each team acts as a family and the surrounding staffs are central to the daily dynamics of any collegiate sports team.

Men’s soccer remains undefeated Tritons snap seven-year losing streak over Rollins

By Cortney Lesovoy Asst. Sports Editor The Tritons are off to their best start since 2007 at 6-0-1, beating Rollins College 1-0 for the first time in seven years at the Turley Athletic Complex on Saturday night.

The game’s lone goal was originally awarded to Senior Midfielder Nick Jackson who volleyed

the ball off of a corner kick from Junior Defender Jordan Lee. The corner kick first found the head of Redshirt Defender Liam Guest and ricocheted off the crossbar. It nearly ruined Eckerd’s chance at a win before midfielder Richard Ainscough got his head on the ball and tapped it into the back of the net in the 16th minute of the game -- his fourth goal of the season.

Moments later, Sophomore Goalkeeper Alex Gott’s long night

photo by Nicole Cardona Senior Tolin Vaccaro rallies the fans against Rollins College Saturday night.

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of saving shots began. Tars’ Defender Taylor Cook served a ball into the Tritons’ box off a corner kick and connected with Junior Midfielder Tosan Popo. Gott caught it out of the air, saving the Tritons from giving up an equalizer.

Instead of trying to keep the ball during the second half of the game, the Tritons sat back and defended, giving Rollins possession a lot of time on and allowing them to gain confidence as the game went on.

As a result, Rollins outshot Eckerd 14 to two during the last 45 minutes of the game.

“We need to start playing for the full 90 minutes instead of putting in just a good 45 minutes,” Jackson said. “We can’t just stop playing once we get the lead, like we have in the last couple of games. It needs to be rectified. We put pressure on ourselves instead of putting it on the opposite team.”

The crossbar was a friend to Eckerd during final minutes, saving them from conceding yet another close attempt by Rollins in the 88th minute of the game. Gott made a save, jumping into the air and getting his right hand on the ball with just enough power, forcing it to hit the crossbar. He recovered the ball and the Tritons used the rest of the game to kill the

photo by Cypress Hansen Freshman Westleigh Rush maintains possesion against Rollins’ defense.

clock in order to secure their historic win.

Gott finished the night with eight saves, tallying 28 for the season. He has allowed only two goals in seven matches. Gott was named Sunshine State Conference Defensive Player of the Week and earned his fifth shutout of the season.

According to Head Coach Cristian Neagu, the leadership and hard work on the field from Jackson and Ainscough, along with the strength of the back line and his goalkeeper is what kept the Tritons afloat against the Tars.

“Nick and Rick want to finish their senior year with something to remember,” Neagu said. “It’s impressive how hard they work and

how they lead by example for the rest of the team.”

Neagu said the team isn’t thinking about their undefeated streak despite it being a confidence builder. Instead, the Tritons are focusing on one game at a time and determining how to improve every step of the way.

“I like the fact that the guys start craving that winning feeling,” Neagu said. “They got ahold of it, and they don’t want to let it go.”

Eckerd looks to continue their unbeaten streak and stay at the top of the SSC table. The Tritons have faced 96 shots in seven games and have only conceded two goals.

“Every game is going to be the same,” Neagu said. “It’s going to be a battle. It’s going to be a war.”

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